Archives for May 2015

Today is the day. The Vida Vegan Con Bazaar has arrived in Austin, TX. A few hours from posting this, I will be in vegan heaven collecting cruelty-free swag and meeting more vegans than I’ve ever been in a single room with. I’m going to be a kid in a candy shop. A vegan candy shop. I can’t wait. I want to make sure I post a yummy recipe before heading out because who knows how long it will take me to recover from rolling in all the swag I’ll be getting.

On Monday I posted my recipe for Cheesy Broccolini & Brown Rice Patties, so don’t get these confused. I had a bunch of leftover broccolini and needed something to do with it, so I came up with the idea of a savory breakfast biscuit because who doesn’t love those? If you’re gluten free and miss those ultra bread-y products, I think you’ll enjoy these biscuits. They hit the spot!

In honor of my birthday this week and also the Vida Vegan Con Bazaar & Conference, I’m publishing three posts instead of my usual two. I know, stop the presses. But I’m pretty excited, I feel like Vida Vegan Con purposely scheduled their conference this weekend because they knew it was my birthday. Okay, probably not. Seriously though, Vida Vegan Con is going to have some awesome speakers like Gene Baur, founder of Farm Sanctuary, and 40+ classes, panels, and workshops. Annnnd to kick it all off they are throwing a Vegan Bazaar with tons of local vendors giving out swag (did I tell you how much I love swag?), a Decadent Dessert Demo with Fran Costigan, and more! If you don’t live in Austin and can’t attend – don’t worry! – I’ll be there taking pictures until I have to drive down to the Texas coast for my b-day shenanigans.

Rabbit Food Grocery ties into my speech about Vida Vegan Con because they will be there in all their shining glory. They are Austin’s first all vegan & cruelty-free grocery store and I’m thrilled. I literally want to buy everything in their store. Rabbit Food was founded back in 2008 by Jessica Morris and Gabriel Figueroa, both longtime vegans; they would set up pop-up shops around town during events. Jump forward to January 2015, thanks to Kickstarter donations and lots of hard work, they’ve opened up their first physical store. Yeaaaah!

It’s been raining nonstop here in Austin, Texas. The humidity has been off the chain and my hair is very unhappy. However, it’s been great for the greenery and all the lakes. I’m hoping it means this summer won’t be quite as scorching as usual. But that’s probably just a pipe dream…

On the plus side, broccolini popped in my brain the other day and I ran with it. Broccolini is one of those veggies that people tend to forget about, but it’s full of vitamins and nutrients, easy to prepare, and very yummy. I decided to create a recipe using this cruciferous vegetable and I came up with the idea of making cheesy brown rice patties and broccolini. I wasn’t sure if it would work, but I had a feeling it would, and the end result was better than I expected.

Do you love having candles at home? Have you ever considered making your own? If you’ve never made candles before, it’s actually really easy and definitely more worth it than spending dozens (or maybe even hundreds) of dollars to buy them at the store. Soy candles are a much better option than the regular paraffin candles out there, which are a by-product of petroleum. Yuck! If you use candles on a regular basis, let me show you a homemade option that’s cheaper and healthier. Plus, they make lovely gifts!

I set out to create a simple recipe for vegan and gluten free dog treats and not only did I succeed, but I also discovered it makes a great scone recipe as well! Check out the accompanying Pumpkin, Banana & Peanut Butter Scones if you’re interested in making delicious treats you can share with your dog.

HEY THERE! I’M JILLIAN.

I live along the border of Mexico in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and create cruelty-free recipes that are delicious! I'm here to show you that it's easy to follow a plant based lifestyle. Not only are the health and beauty benefits noticeable, but it creates a more sustainable planet and keeps our animal friends safe & happy. I also love books, music, dark chocolate, and the great outdoors. LEARN MORE…

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